Princesses of Peace
by Shadaria and Shadaria's twin
Summary: This story is a lesson for everyone. Kumani and Asante have a destiny that goes together. They must bring the hyenas and lions back together. Will they succeed or will these two cubs die before their destinies are complete? Short-story.
1. New Pride

**I do not own the Lion King but I do own Kumani (Jahzara), Alake, and Anisa**

* * *

I couldn't believe what had just happened. My whole family was killed right before my very eyes! I'm not sure how I escaped the flames as it burned all around me but I did. I looked at the burnt land and the ashes of my siblings nearby.

I turned my eyes from the dead and to the horizon. I took off running. I knew there was something more beyond my home lands, now known as the Land of the Dead, and I wanted to know. My eyes burnt as I watched the setting sun but it wasn't the first time I had seen it.

I remember the day I was born and first looked into the setting sun. I was the first born and the only to open their eyes on the day of their birth. My mother said that she thought my destiny was strong so she named me, Kumani meaning destiny. I never understood what she meant but then again maybe I wasn't supposed to.

I finally made it to our neighboring land, the Pridelands. I could see Priderock from the border but I was nervous about crossing. Many of my pride's cubs have been killed when they crossed out of our land. I took a single step over but nothing happened. I was nervous for a few more steps but then I took off running, straight to Priderock.

I knew the king here was one that many of the Wanderers talked about being nice. I hoped he would take me, an orphan but princess by blood, into the safety of his pride. I didn't want to be a Wanderer until starvation finally took me. When I reached Priderock I stopped, took in a deep breath, and roared as loud as I could but it wasn't very loud.

I didn't catch the attention of an adult but I did of two cubs playing nearby. They looked down at me, then at each other, and ran up Priderock. I sat down and waited. I could feel my tail vibrating with fear. Finally, I saw a big male walk down Priderock with the cubs behind him. He walked right up to me and looked straight down at me.

"Why are you here?" he asked sniffing me.

"Please, sir, my family just died in a fire yesterday and I've been running all night," I said and felt my tail pulsate in fear, "I hoped I could join your pride, at least until I'm old enough to be on my own."

He lowered his head and looked at me but I backed up now fully shaking in fear. He threw his head back and roared a laugh that accidentally made me hiss my displeasure.

"Kovu!" a female said in anger and then licked my head, "Stop that you're scarring the poor dear."

Kovu told her what I had just told him and she pulled me close to her. I was confused by the gesture and took it as a threat. I pulled away and ran away from them a bit.

"Which land did you come from?" the female asked.

"I came from far to the east, a full day's journey for me," I said and lowered my head in sorrow, "It was the Grassland, my pride's home, but now it's called the Land of the Dead."

I closed my eyes holding back the tears that tried to escape.

"Come, cub, tell me about yourself," the female said and started walking up Priderock I followed her, "My name is Kiara."

"My name's Kumani, meaning Destiny, and I was the heiress to throne," I said and looked down at the ground as I kept pace with her, "My pride was big and growing but many of our cubs dead when they crossed our borders. I was the only one who survived and, sadly, my siblings died in that great fire too. I am now all alone."

"No, Kumani," she said and I looked up at her, "You're not alone. You are now part of this pride and as such you are family."

"What's family?" I asked and she seemed shocked, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she said and I sat down, "Family is just another word for pride."

I nodded my understanding and looked into the cave ahead of me. It was mostly empty but I could smell one or two lions still in there.

"Come," she said and I stood to my paws, "I'm going to give you a new Mother."

A new Mother? No one could replace my birth Mother. She led me over to an old female. She nudged her awake and I jumped back as she yawned. My pride was usually so quiet unless we were playing but even then we weren't that loud.

"Sarafina, I've brought you a cub," she said then told her everything that had already been said and I sat down, "I wish for you to be her Mother."

"Kiara, I'm not as young as I used to be," Sarafina said sitting up but she looked down at me sweetly, "but I'll still care for her as if she was my daughter."

She pulled me close but I jumped away again.

"Kumani, that's enough, you're in no harm," she scolded I flinched and she pulled me closer again, "It's only a hug."

This was something my pride didn't do but I understood the scolding. Kiara left and I looked up at Sarafina.

"Kumani, for all you've gone through I'm going to give you a new name," she said and I gulped, "From now on you'll be known as Jahzara. It means blessed princess."

"But I'm not..."

"You were and could be again," she said but I was confused, "Alake is our prince and heir to the throne but the only other female cub is his sister, Anisa... That is until you came along."

I was shocked by the news. To be the ruler of another pride would mean our lands would join but it was too far away to protect.

"Your pride's so different from mine," I said bowing my head in thought.

"How's that, Jahzara?"

"Well..." I started giving her a lot of reasons, "... and we had a coming of age ceremony before our names were changed."

"Coming of age ceremony?"

"Yes, when we are between cubhood and adulthood we would be put through tests of mind, body, and spirit. The king and queen would watch the young lion and, after the test was complete, give them a new name that would last their whole life."

"How do you know of it when it's never happened to you?"

I looked outside of the cave as thoughts of my pride returned.

"I was to be queen and as such I had to watch all the tests that had happened since my birth," I said and looked up at her proudly, "I even named one of them but... then they died along with the rest of my pride."

I looked away and squeezed my eyes tightly shut at the thought of all the dead. A few tears escaped, my ears layed back in anger, and I growled.

"What's wrong?" Sarafina asked pulling me to her again.

"I'm crying," I said trying to stop the tears, "Tears show weakness and I don't want to show weakness."

"Crying only means you have a heart, Jahzara," she said and I looked up at her as tears rolled down my cheeks, "I cried for the lost of my poor Mheetu and at the birth of cubs. Just because you cry doesn't mean you're weak."

What did this lioness know? Since we were new born if we cried we would be hit. We had to become strong to survive. I pulled away from her and walked outside. This pride was so strange to me and I'm not sure I'll ever understand their strangeness.


	2. Destinies Combine

I've been here a few days now and I've gotten scolded at least two times a day. I've started to understand the rules and limits. I still find it weird that the cubs don't go hunting too. Many times when Alake and Anisa start playing and include me, I walk away.

I was more interested in the adult stuff like hunting, patrolling, and talking. When Kiara and the lionesses brought back food I'd walk off and hunt my own. Many times I'd over hear them talking about my strangeness, color, or personality. I grew angered many times but held back my attack. I decided it was best to stay away from everyone until I was called in for sleep.

I woke up early this morning and walked outside. I looked out over the Pridelands and decided I'd explore today. There wasn't really any difference between the lands. When I came to the border I stopped and sniffed. A Wanderer must have passed sometime during the night. I climbed up a tree and looked around. I couldn't see anyone and thought that good.

Alake and Anisa were too curious and would probably be hurt. I sighed and walked back to Priderock. I stopped at the water hole and got a drink. Many animals were doing the same around me. Suddenly I thought I saw my sister drinking but shook my head and she was gone. I must have been in the sun too long. I climbed Priderock and went into the cave. It was cool and dark. I moved to the back and layed down. Suddenly something hit me. I sat up and looked at Simba. He was smiling but looking away. I smiled but layed back down.

"Aren't you hungry, Jahzara?" he asked and I looked at him, "You haven't ate in two days."

"No," I said flicking my tail as I walked out, "I hunt for myself."

"Cubs don't hunt!" he laughed.

I growled and ran down Priderock. I knew of one place I could hide, though it was off limits, the Elephant Graveyard. I ran as fast as I could and finally made it. I hid in a hollowed out bone and sighed sadly.

"Who's there?" a young female asked but I didn't move, "I hear you so come on out."

I crawled out and came nose to nose with a young hyena. I jumped away hissing my displeasure and fear.

"Lion!" she shouted and ran off.

I stood up confused and looked at the spot where she just was. I saw her paw print in the soft ground. I put my paw in the print and lifted it again. The mark hadn't changed so she was only my age. I saw her peek her head around a bone and look at me. Our eyes met and then she walked over to me.

"What kind of lion are you?" she asked sniffing me.

"I'm just a cub," I said and jumped onto a bone to look down at her, "Besides if I'm right we're the same age."

"I'm Asante," she said with a smile.

I smiled back and said, "I'm Jahzara."

I jumped down and landed in front of her.

"So, what are you doing out here?" she asked and I looked at her.

"Getting away from my pride," I said and sat down with a huff, "My birth pride was killed in a fire and my new pride thinks I'm... odd. My pride didn't look like any other pride and we accepted Wanderers."

"My family thinks I'm weird too."

"Why?" I asked and looked her over, "You look like a normal hyena to me."

"It's because my eyes aren't the normal color for a hyena my age," she said and we both sat down, "That's okay though. I like being different and you should too."

"I never said I didn't," I said getting defensive, "I'm just fed up with the way my pride treats me... you know, like an out cast."

We sat there for a long time talking and, to me, it seemed like we had been friends forever. Finally silence came between us but it was a comfortable silence.

"Do you want to meet my pride?" I asked at last, breaking the silence.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," she said and I was confused, "My Mom said Simba has something against us, hyenas, and that it's not even safe for us to enter the Pridelands."

"Maybe we can change that," I said smiling and she looked at me like I was crazy, "I know they would scold me for being your friend but I don't care and I'm going to tell them... do you think I could stay with your family tonight?"

"Why?"

"Because I know they'll chase me out, at least for tonight," I said and she nodded, "Thanks. I'll go right now and tell them. Bye, Asante!"

"Bye, Jahzara, and good luck!" she shouted as I left the Elephant Graveyard.

I ran straight to Priderock and found Kiara and Kovu. I walked up to them with pride.

"Oh look, the mighty Jahzara returns before bed time," Kovu taunted but I ignored him.

"I have something to tell you," they looked at me and I gulped, "I'm made friends with someone my age named Asante."

"That's good, Jah..."

"She's a hyena," I said and they stared at me.

Suddenly Kiara clawed at me.

"You stupid black cub!" she shouted and Kovu tried to hold her back, "I swear, I'll kill you..."

"Jahzara, run!" he shouted and I took off.

I ran to the Elephant Graveyard and right into a whole pack of hyenas.

"Oh, this can't be good," I mumbled as the hyenas turned to me.

"What have we got here?" a female asked and a few laughed.

I hissed at the female and tried to look at all of them at once.

"What's a bite like you doing in a place like this?" she asked licking her lips and I backed up still hissing, "Oh look, Ed, the little cub has courage like that one cub long ago."

I heard insane laughing coming from behind me. Something touched my tail and I jumped around. I came face to face with Asante and hid under her.

"Asante, move," the female said but Asante didn't even flinch.

"No, Mom, this cub is my friend," Asante said seriously and the female was stunned, "Her name's Jahzara and she needs protection."

"What's a lion need protection from except us?" a male laughed and I growled.

"Kiara," I growled standing beside Asante, "The queen of the Pridelands. I told her of my friendship with Asante and she swore to kill me. I came here in hopes of protection."

They all seemed stunned but by what I wasn't sure.

"Mom, please just for tonight at least?" Asante asked and I looked at her Mom.

She looked at me in doubt but then smiled, my tail vibrated.

"If you can bring Asante some meat from the Pridelands, enough to fill her, then I'll let you stay tonight in safety," she said and I nodded.

"But, Shenzi, lions have been our enemies since the beginning of time," a male whispered but I walked away.

"Yes, but at least Asante will be full," Shenzi said and I was in the Pridelands where I could no longer hear them.

I tried to hunt a baby gazelle but the herd easily saw me and chased me away. I snuck into a buffalo herd, since I was almost the same color as them, and got close to a baby. I acted like I was eating grass and then sliced the baby's throat. The herd went into a rampage as the baby died but they didn't notice me. I hid in the tall grass as the herd stampeded away. I dragged the carcass to the edge of the Elephant Graveyard and saw Asante standing there with her Mom in shock. I stopped dragging it once it was in front of Asante. She dug into it without a second thought. I looked up at Shenzi and she, suddenly, pulled me to her.

"Come, I want to talk to you over here," she said and then carried me away.

If I wasn't tiny and light for my age then she would have had a hard time. She set me down and I turned to her.

"Why would you do something so dangerous for my daughter?" she asked confused.

I smiled, looked at Asante, and then up at Shenzi, "Because she's my friend and she deserves the best."

"It's still stupid."

"Maybe but it was also brave," I said and looked at my paws, "My birth pride raised cubs to be brave, strong, and wise..."

"And you think it's wise to befriend Asante, my daughter, a hyena?"

"I only thought of fear when we first met," I said and looked up at her, "I hadn't thought to be wise. I was mad and she was there. We talked like we had always been friends and I loved the idea. I hoped we could be friends forever and bring our kinds closer together."

"Your kind has killed us since the beginning of time," she said and I heard a hint of a growl appear, "What makes me so sure you won't try to kill her when our backs are turned?"

"I would protect her even if it costs my life!" I snapped and closed my eyes as I started to shake in anger.

I could see Asante laying dead in a field covered in blood, it made me mad, scared, and confused.

"If she dies when she's with me then I'll gladly take my life too," I said completely serious.

We starred into each others eyes.

"Jahzara!" Asante shouted and we looked at her, "Come eat with me!"

I looked at Shenzi and then trotted over to her. We started eating and Shenzi went back into the Elephant Graveyard.

"Sorry about Mom," Asante said quietly and I looked over the carcass at her, "She can be overprotective at times but while you were hunting she became even more overprotective."

"Don't worry about it," I replied smiling and she smiled too, "My Mother was the same way. Always worrying I would get killed so she kept me by her side constantly until the day she died with all..."

I stuffed more meat in my mouth and closed my eyes tightly.

"I'm sorry." I looked at Asante only to see her sitting up and crying.

I jumped over the carcass and hugged her.

"No, my friend, there's no 'I'm sorry' between us," I said and then stepped back smiling, "We'll always be friends, right?"

"Right," she said and smiled brightly, "No matter what the world throws at us."

We left the carcass there and went back into the Elephant Graveyard. I layed between Shenzi and Asante. From what I could figure out Asante never knew her Dad. I closed my eyes and layed my head on my paws. Asante layed her head on my back.

"Night, Asante."

"Night, Jahzara."

We fell asleep like that and I didn't even feel scared. I thought I would be terrified to sleep with over two hundred hyenas but I wasn't. Only a few seem to care that I was there and kept their cubs well away from me but most just took me for another hyena cub. I dreamed that Asante and I would be friends forever and nothing would tear us apart.


	3. Destinies Fulfilled

Asante woke me up the next morning and I sat up.

"Morning, Asante," I yawned and shook myself.

"Morning, Jahzara," Asante said and we smiled at each other.

"Are you going back home today, Jahzara?" Shenzi asked and I looked at her.

"I'm not sure," I said and my head dropped, "they could kill me and then come after all of you."

Everything was silent around us for awhile.

"Let's go play," Asante said pushing me away from her Mom.

I followed her as she lead me away from her family. When we were far away she stopped and turned back to me.

"Why didn't you wake up last night when I was trying to warn you?" she asked concerned and my tail started to vibrate.

"There was no danger," I said shaking my tail to make it stop vibrating.

"My family tried to attack you," she said and I sat down in disbelief, "You seemed to be dreaming peacefully and you never woke up."

"They don't trust me," I said and started walking away, "We'll never get my pride and your family to like each other again."

"We just have to give them time," Asante said running up to my side, "Maybe if they see how deep our friendship is they'll change their hearts."

We stopped at the edge of the Pridelands and looked at our different homes and families.

"Come with me," I said and we walked towards Priderock, "If anything starts to go wrong I want you to run and never stop."

"No, I won't leave you," Asante said and rubbing her head against my neck, "You're my best friend."

"Asante," I said and glared at her, "I don't want anything to happen to you. No matter what happens to me I want you to promise me you'll run."

"I..." I looked at her pleading, "I promise."

When we made it to Priderock I called for Alake and Anisa. They came running down but stopped when they saw Asante.

"This is my best friend, Asante," I said but the terrified look on their faces never left, "Don't worry she won't hurt you."

They took off running back up and I got ready to fight.

"The adults will be coming soon," I said and heard Asante gasp, "Remember your promise."

Kiara rushed down with both claws out.

"No!" I shouted and threw myself at her, "Leave my best friend alone!"

I smacked her again and again until Kovu pinned her and I ran back to Asante.

"Why didn't you run?" I asked out of breath but not taking my eyes off Kiara.

"I couldn't keep my promise," she said and my ear turned towards her, "You're my best friend."

"Run, cubs, run!" Kovu shouted and I pushed Asante out of the way.

Kiara hit me and left a deep scratch down my side.

"Leave her alone!" Asante said and hit Kiara in the face.

I watched as Asante came flying to my side.

"Asante!"

"Jahzara!"

The rest of my pride and Asante's whole family surrounded us and started fighting.

"We've got to stop them," I said pushing myself up.

"We can't let this go on," Asante said standing beside me.

"Enough!" we both shouted.

Everyone froze and turned to us.

"If we can be friends why can't you?" Asante asked.

Life was slowly leaving us.

"This fighting is nonsense," I said as Asante collapsed and I stepped a paw over her, "Can't you just get along?"

I collapsed on top of her. I knew Asante was looking at her Mom and I was looking at Sarafina.

"We'll be friends forever," we sighed and then everything was quiet.


	4. The Lesson

At the cost of two young lives the hyenas and lions were brought back together.

If two outcasts could be friends why couldn't they?

Kumani and Asante fulfilled their destinies and are still together.

They play together day and night in the fields of dark and light.

This is a lesson for everyone: just because your different doesn't mean you can't be friends.

The lions and hyenas are now friends and share the Pridelands together.

But legend says if a problem arises between species that Kumani and Asante will be reborn to make peace again.

If you look up at the sky when you have a problem with someone they will be smiling down on you.

They only want the world to be at peace.

* * *

**I hope you can see the meaning of this short story.**


End file.
